Roof construction



March 1938- 'A. ,1. DENISTON, JR., ET AL 2,111,110

RodF CONSTRUCTION Filed April 21, 1937 Inven $0 7 5 flZZera1176722525072 J71.

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Patented Mar. 15, 1938 PATENT OFFICE 2,111,110 ROOF CONSTRUCTION AlbertJ. Deniston, Jr., and Elbert D. Tripp, Chicago, 111.; said Trippassignor to said Deniston,

Application April 21,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a roofconstruction, to the members of which itis formed and to the method of forming it.

One object of the invention is to provide in connection with a roofmeans whereby a water or wear resistant sheathing or covering can besecured in place so as to prevent leakage and to prevent displacement ofthe parts.

Another object is to provide a metallic covering for roofs and walls inwhich the metallic covering is itself held in place by nails or screwsshaped so that the metallic roofing and the nail or screw, whichever isused, are keyed together and separation is prevented.

Another object is to provide means for similarl keying togethernon-metallic material.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the specification andclaims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of nail or fastening member towhich a sealing head has been applied, the head being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a sectional detail of a portion of roofing in which the nailof Figure 1 is used;

Figure 3 is a section similar to Figure 2 showing a modified forniofnail;

Figure 4 is a section generally similar to Figures 2 and 3 but showing afurther modification in which a nail, generally'like that of Figures 1and 2, but without the sealing member,.is used;

Figure 5 illustrates a further modification; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a driving screw shown with a. sealinghead;

Fig. 7 is a section similar to Fig. 3illustrating a furthermodification;

Fig. 8 is a detail of the nail shown in Fig. '7.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout thespecification and drawing.

One form of fastening member which is used in carrying out the inventionis illustrated in Figure 1. As there shown it comprises a" nail having ashank I and a head 2. The head may be of any desired shape. Below thehead and separated from it, the shank is enlarged as at 3. The nail maybe used satisfactorily as shown in Figure 4 without a sealing head orportion. As shown in Figure 1, however, an enlarged sealing head 4 isused. This may be of lead or other 'material, preferably softer than thenail and its head. As shown it has a fillet-like portion 5 surroundingthe shank and extending toward or to the enlargement 3. The head mayalso be provided with a downwardly depending skirt 6,

1937, Serial No. 138,076

which as shown is straight sided but may be flared or have other shape.

As shown in Figure 2 a nail such as that of Figure 1 has been driveninto a wall, roof or other building member 1. Upon this building memberis mounted a metallic sheathing such as the typical corrugated ironcovering often used on buildings, which comprises sheet-like members 8.In driving a nail through such sheathing a perforation may be madebefore to receive the 10 nail or the nail may be driven directly in toform its own perforation. Whichever is done, around the perforation thesheathing is inwardly bent as at 9. When the nail has been drivensufficiently in, the enlargement 3 passes the edges 9 of the perforationand these spring or otherwise fit in above the enlargement, thus keyingthe nail to the sheathing. Any force tending to withdraw the nail fromthe member 1 tends to pull up or out on the edges 9 of the perforationand this is resisted because these edges cannot readily be pulledupward. The nail and the roofing are thus keyed together and separationof the nail from the roofing is prevented.

If, as shown in Figure 2, the nail carries the '25 sealing head, whenthe nail is pounded into place the lead is distorted somewhat andassumes in general the position and condition indicated in Figure 2.

In the modified form of Figure 3, the nail is generally similar to thatof Figures 1 and 2 but instead of an enlargement 3 it has a depression,preferably a continual annular depression, Ill, formed about the shankand below and separated from the head. As the nail is driven into placethe inner edges of the perforation 9 fit into the depression or groovel0 and the nail is thus keyed in place generally in the same manner asthat shown in Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 4 the nail itself is the same as shown in Figures 1and 2 but the sealing head has been omitted. The roofing member 8 iskeyed to the nail by the engagement of the edges 9 of the perforationwith the enlargement 3. In the nail shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the headis relatively fiat both on top and bottom. This is not an essentialfeature and it might be rounded. As one modification, a fillet II isshown in the nail of Figure 4 which tapers out from the shank to jointhe head. The invention is not limited to any particular construction ofnail head.

Figure 5 shows a further modification. Here the nail is generally thesame as that shown in Figure 4 since the sealing portion is omitted.

instead of an enlargement of the shape shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4,amodified shape l2 may be given to the enlargement or it may be giventhe same shape as that of the earlier figures. As shown in Figure 5,however, the,nail is used in securing in place flat, or relatively flat,sheathing members and while it may be used to hold in place one or more,there are shown in Figure 5 two such fiat sheathing members l3 and I4.Their edges overlap slightly and the nail is driven through the edges ofthe two pieces. As shown, the enlargement I 2 has passed below or insideof the two pieces I 3 and I4 and the lower member 13 is engaged upon orin contact with the top or outer portion of the enlargement l2.

Figure 6 shows a driving screw. It is a member generally similar to thatshown in Figure 1 except that a thread I5 is formed on a portion of theshank. Otherwise it has the enlargement 3 and the sealing head 4. Ascrew of this general type might have an enlargement of any desired sizeand shape or a depression, such as that shown in Figure 3.

Whether a nail or screw is used and whether the screw is a driving screwor one intended to be screwed in place by means of a tool such as ascrew driver, the fastening member comprises in general some shank-likepart, shaped'to key with the roofing or sheathing with which thefastening member is used, and the shape of this portion of the shank ofthe fastening member is such that when driven or screwed into place itis keyed with the sheathing with which it is used and the two areengaged and held together.

While we have herewith shown and described a practical operative device,nevertheless many changes might be made in the size, shape, number anddisposition of parts without departing from the spirit of the inventionand we wish, therefore, that our showing be taken as in a sensediagrammatic.

In the modified form shown in Figures 7 and 8, the nail may have severalnotches I5 instead of the annular depression of Figure 3. Portions ofthe fiange 9 will engage in the notches l5 and key the nail in place inthe same manner as that of Figure 3.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

When a wall, roof or other structural member is to have some form ofsheathing secured to it, a fastening member of one of the typessuggested is used and may be driven or screwed into place. The sheathingis first put in place, perforations may or may not be formed, and thenails or screws are forced through the sheathing into the studding orother parts of the structure and the fastening member is driven farenough in so that the edges of the perforation in the sheathing memberengage and key together with the keying portion of the fastening member.Thereafter the fastening members are held to the sheathing and cannot beremoved from it accidentally.

When the form of nail shown in Figure 6 is used, as it is driven thethreads impart rotary motion to the nail so that the sealing head 4, 5and 6, if one is used, is ground to a seat by the harder material of theroofing 8 and thus the sealing member is not merely pounded into contactwith the sheathing 8 but is actually ground into a sealing fit,penetrating the perforation in the sheathing and fitting therein closelyand also fitting closely as a result of the ground fit with theremaining part of the sheathing which it contacts. The keying of theinbent edges 9 of the roofing 8 with the enlargement 3- is the samewhether the drive screw of Figure 6 or the nails of Figures 1, 3 and 4are used.

Where the word keying is used it is to be taken as meaning theinterlocking or interengagement of the parts mentioned. For example, theinner edges 9 of perforations formed through the member 8 interlock orkey with the enlargement 3, preventing the separation of the parts, orthe same edges 9 interlock or key with the depression Ill. Theexpression is to be understood with the meaning indicated, where itoccurs in the specification and in the claims.

The word wall is to be understood as meaning a wall, partition, roof orany other similar structural-member upon which sheathing is applied. Theinvention is not limited to the fastening means and to the wall or roofconstruction as applied to any particular position, whether vertical,horizontal or inclined.

As shown 'in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the sheathing 8, while it might be ofmany materials, will ordinarily be of metal and it has a certain amountof flexibility, elasticity or spring, that is to say, when it isdeformed it tends to some degree at least to spring back to or towardits original shape or position. Thus when the hole is perforated theedges of the hole tend to spring back, and when the edges are displacedby the shank of the nail or even more so by the enlargement 3, theyspring against the nail and the enlargement, where the latter is used,and when free to do so, spring back toward their original position. Thusthe sheathing, and particularly the edges 9 of the perforation, becauseof their own elasticity and springing qualities,

when free to do so, spring in above the enlargement 3 when it has passedlow enough to permit this springing. Similarly the edges 9 spring" intothe depression or groove I when the shank of the nail has passed farenough through the perforation to bring the groove in line with theedges.

Even quite inelastic materials will spring in or fitin after the passageof a depression. As shown in Figure 5, the sheets l3 and I4 might be ofmetal or paper or any one of the various composition roofings, wallmaterials, shingles, tiles or the like and these also tend to regaintheir original shape and position after the passage of the enlargementor after the passage of the shank of the nail.

We'claim:

1. In combination in a structure, a frame member, a sheathing member anda fastener for fastening them together, said fastener having a head anda shank of generally rounded cross section, said sheathing beingperforated with a generally rounded perforation and having uniformlyabout said perforation inwardly bent edges, said fastener extendingthrough said perforation, engaging said sheathing and said frame member,and provided with a member keying with the inbent edges of saidsheathing, said fastener provided with a sealing portion ofmaterialsofter than itself, said sealing portion surrounding the fastener andthe perforation in the sheathing when the fastener is in final positionand sealing said perforation, said sealing portion terminating atapproximately the upper margin of said keying member, and being heldagainst displacement thereby.

2. In combination in a structure, aframe member, a sheathing member anda fastener for fastening them together, said fastener having a head anda shank of generally rounded cross section, said sheathing member beingperforated with a generally rounded perforation and having uniformlyabout said perforation inwardly bent edges, said fastener extendingthrough said perforation, engaging said sheathing and said frame member,and provided with a member spaced away from the ends of said fastenerkeying with the inbent edges of said sheathing, said fastener providedwith a sealing portion of material softer than itself, said sealingportion surrounding the fastener and the perforation in the sheathingwhen the fastener is in final position and sealing said perforation, theshape of the upper surface of the sheathing. member about the saidfastener being the same as that of the under surface of said sealingportion.

3. In a fastener seal, a nail having a shank and a head, a bulbousenlargement formed on said shank and spaced away from said head, a ringof relatively soft material having a peripheral skirt portion, and a,generally tubular sleeve adapted to be tightly fitted about the undersurface of said head and about said shank between said head and saidenlargement and terminating at approximately the upper margin of saidenlargement and being held in place thereby.

4. A nail having a shank and a head, a bulbous enlargement formed onsaid shank and spaced away from said head, a ring of relatively softmaterial having a peripheral skirt portion, and a generally tubularsleeve tightly fitting about the under surface of said head and aboutsaid shank between said head and said enlargement, sa d enlargementbeing adapted to key with the edges of material through which thefastener is driven, the tubular member terminating at approximately theupper margin of said enlargement and being held against displacementthereby.

ALBERT J. DENISTON, JR. ELBERT D. TRIPP.

